BROCKPORT, NY – Fresh off an unblemished 2-0 road trip, the SUNY Brockport men's basketball team returns to the friendly confines of Jim and John Vlogianitis Gymnasium for a pair of critical Empire 8 contests. The Golden Eagles (7-10, 3-5 E8) will host Empire 8 first seed Russell Sage College on Friday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m., before welcoming Hartwick College on Saturday, Jan. 31, with tip-off scheduled for 4 p.m.
Road Trip Review
The Green and Gold bring significant momentum back to Brockport after a dominant weekend on the road. Brockport capped the trip with a gritty 75-70 victory over Alfred University, a game they led for over 37 minutes. The Golden Eagles' interior presence was the catalyst, as they racked up 40 points in the paint and controlled the glass with a +10 rebounding margin (45-35).
Efficiency was the theme in the weekend finale, as Brockport shot a blistering 56.7% in the first half to build a double-digit cushion.
Camron Dyer provided a major spark off the bench with a team-high 19 points, while freshman
Cameron Pownall continued his emergence as an interior threat with a season-best 17 points and six boards.
Christian Amica added a lift in his starting role with 12 points—including three triples—while
Pharell Aybar stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, eight rebounds, and a team-high three steals.
Scouting the Gators
The weekend opens with a heavyweight clash against Russell Sage College, the current pace-setters in the Empire 8. The Gators enter the matchup as the Empire 8 first seed with a formidable 16-2 overall record and a nearly spotless 8-1 conference slate. Sage is riding a seven-game winning streak into The Vlog, most recently outlasting Hartwick in a 103-96 road win.
Brockport is 0-1 all-time against the Gators, having dropped a 75-64 decision on the road in their first-ever meeting last season. The Golden Eagles will look to leverage their home-court advantage and defensive grit to even the all-time series and disrupt Sage's momentum.
Hawking the Hawks
On Saturday afternoon, the focus shifts to a Hartwick College squad that currently sits at 7-11 overall with a 1-8 mark in Empire 8 play. The Hawks are looking to bounce back after a 103-96 loss to Russell Sage and will face Geneseo on Friday night before arriving in Brockport.
The Golden Eagles hold a 1-0 all-time record against the Hawks, following a convincing 90-71 victory on the road last season. Brockport will aim to maintain its dominance in the paint to secure another vital conference win as they climb the Empire 8 standings.
Up Next: The home stand continues next week as the Golden Eagles host SUNY Geneseo on Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m. This rivalry matchup was originally scheduled for earlier in the week but was postponed due to inclement weather.
